Posted on 03/26/2002 4:44:10 AM PST by Constitution Day
As for Bush, are you pleased by his signing of CFR? Are you pleased by his order for steel tariffs subsidizing the steel workers unions at the expense of all other Americans? Are you pleased by his tariffs on lumber from Canada in a free trade area? What role do you think Smoot-Hawley played in laying the foundation for the 1929-1937 depression? Why do you think the Republicans got the blame? What events put the Democrats under Roosevelt in power and set the stage for their socialistic legislation? With Japan teetering on the brink of depression and their best hope to escape it being to export their way into economic prosperity, what will Bush's tariffs due to Japanese hopes? Who holds about one third of all US debt, public and private? What will happen if Japan falls into depression through collapse of the Japanese banking structure? Will the Japanese need to bring their surviving capital home to restart their own economy? What will happen to the US if it is forced to find new funding for almost 40% of its existing debt? Who will fund the explosion that is currently in progress in US debt? Argentina? You? FreeRepublic? Democrats in Congress?
Blind loyalty is necessary for combat troops in war, but not for politicians. Bush's handling of the WAT has been satisfactory, and in some respects exemplary. His handling of domestic issues borders on the absurd. Don't let your emotional reactions to 9-11 ove turn your historical perspective on domestic issues and problems. In the large scope of things, Bush sees government as the solution to many problems. This is demonstrably wrong. Government is never the solution and in most cases is the major source of the problem. And behind government being the problems stands some Democratic Party initiative. Bush has enacted more the Democratic agenda than he has of his own.
God forbid that non-annointed candidates might actually get an opportunity to campaign.
---max
Your observation linking fear to the unknown is correct. But your implication that nobody knows is not. History has been recorded for hundreds of years. Perhaps if Americans spent less time watching baseball and more time reading history, the answers would be clearer. In addition to history, there is a large body of fiction that teaches invaluable lessons. Skip your next movie or ball game and buy a copy of "Atlas Shrugged" from Amazon.com. Spend some time with your own thoughts. Most of the things necessary to run civilization are straight forward and simple. Many of the problems that occur in society and history have occurred because some people don't like the results of the lessons of history. Unfortunately, when you ignore reality, history has a tendencey to bite us back and extract a toll for re-teaching us.
Here are two very basic premises gleaned from history that the American people seem determined to ignore. When you tax the income from one group of people in order to give it to another more favored group of people, you tend to get fewer producers and more that want benefits. Most Americans recognize that chain letters end up burning (they get back less than they put in) most of the participants. Most recognize that that chain letters are nothing more than lotteries. Some make lots of money; most lose everything or almost everything that they put in. Social Security is a chain letter. Chain letters are illegal in almost every state, yet Democrats have made SS the law of the land. And Republicans are afraid to touch SS polticially. Everybody who gets into a chain letter toward the end of the game loses. That is exactly where we are in Social Security. The game is almost over. Everybody who starts now or has recently started paying into SS is going to lose. SS is now robbing this group of the opportunity to have their own secure retirements. The seeds of the end of the United States are in this post. And the Democrats planted and cultivated them.
You knew all this to be true, but it very hard to admit to yourself. And nobody likes the answers to these simple problems. We all know the answers to these two problems. The only problem is that we don't like the answer and keep thinking if we do nothing, maybe the problem will go away or somebody somewhere sometime will find a new solution. History says that no one is going to find a new solution and that problem will not go away. In fact, history says the problems will get worse until the whole system breaks down. And that is exactly what is going to happen until the Republicans face reality that it is up to them to confront and defeat the evil Democrats. Osmasa is an insignificant enemy to the United States in comparison to the Democratic Party. Osama is highly visible and an easy target. Better yet he provides a diversion to deflect attention to the real problem. Osama is not going to destroy the US. He may kill a few more Americans and make a lot of headlines, but in the overall scope of things, Osama can not ever destroy the US. Ten thousand Osamas could not destroy the US. On the other hand, the financial clock of the United States with regard to Social Security (an inverted pyramid that is about to explode) is going to begin going ballistic in 2012. By 2016 the inescapable truth is going to be evident to every American, and they are all going to run for the exits just like they did in Oct 1929 and again in Oct 1987. But this time the music will stop and it is going to stop for good as far as the United States is concerned. This time the American people will not accept the unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare. And with that one act the full faith and credit of the United States will cease to exist. And so will the United States itself. You knew that and so does everyone else. It is just that no one wants to face the reality of the situation. Least of all politicians who want to stay in office.
This is the time and place where things can and will be different. First, the back-sliding by Republicans and moderates has been because of the constant harangue from the propaganda masters in the media. The Internet is replacing the media influence and the media are being successfully discredited. Financial markets are going to get some help from this as well.
Second, we have the Reagan and 1994 models to show the Republicans. Third, we tell them what is going to happen. Let it happen and then we tell them why it happened to them. Some of the losers won't learn. But the survivors and the new blood will understand. They will get the message and they will get it loud and clear.
Under the present circumstances, we have proven time and time again that they can ignore conservatives because there is no where else reasonable to go. And they have been right and they know that as well. Conservatives blinked. And is readily predictable, the Republicans once again catered to the moderates and those left of center to woo from the liberal base.
One definition of insanity is to keep repeating the same experiment, each time expecting a different outcome. Those who forget the mistakes of the past are destined to keep repeating them. Conservatives can learn; the question is will we?
Remember that summary of past presidential elections over the past 20+ years? A Bush or a Dole was in nearly every one of them. I think she has higher aspirations and she must be stopped; I think she's the last of the Dole clan, at least I hope so.
Again, I'm as RINO as they come in these forums. But nothing bothers me more about GOP politics than kingmaking by the party leadership.
What's worse is that the party-faithful sheeple will fall in line and support Dole.
And watch all of the sheeple vote for her.
Below is a firsthand account of the Reagan Day dinner discussed in this article.
viaveritasvita was there and has given me permission to post this.
She is new to FR and doesn't know the ins and outs of HTML. (yet!)
I realize this is old news by now, but I've been too busy with the Easter weekend and with work to post it.
FRegards,
CD
The article had it right.
In fact, it had it precisely right, which makes me think that the quotes came from the doctor and the other guy (can't think of their names right now) possibly via a press release...?
A few somewhat disjointed responses to FR posts:
Your post 83 is almost exactly what I think of the whole rotten deal. One of the posters stated that either of these 2 had his/her vote over Mrs. D--WOW! He'd vote for someone whose views he knows nothing about!? Even worse than voting for a RINO, IMHO.
CA Republicans just recently upended the Bush-endorsed RINO (Riordon) in favor of a true conservative (Simon--who had Rudy G's endorsement), so it's possible that the game's not over yet. If you vote for Mrs. D and she doesn't live up to her promises, I think you have every right to complain! Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't voting for anyone (or no one) else than the perceived less than perfect Republican get us that sleezy commie 'RAT bastard bill and his dikey Marxist partner?
The whole thing is politics as usual. It's sad to say, but I believe we are on the road to globalism, no turning back, and all the horrors that will bring--being a Christian, I believe this is the way the world is intended to go, but I digress.
At this point, I'm just glad we're able to hold it off as long as possible, altho I still harbor hopes that someone will come along that we conservatives can ALL get behind, but until then....
As I said in an earlier post, I'm disappointed with Bush (an understatement of Biblical proportions!) and Mrs. D doesn't thrill me. But, they're all we have (in terms of electability). I registered Republican, but am going to go back to independent--unaffiliated here in NC per one of your posts.
My personal observations from the dinner:
(1) Phantom Lord, in post 104, reflects my initial impression of the doc: nice, but looney. The other guy was even loonier!
(2) I sat at the table next to where these 2 were sitting. If they didn't have the whole thing staged, I'll eat my hats (I have 3!). It was totally scripted, IMHO. The timing of the little drama was quite impressive.
(3) If they were out to get my vote by disrupting the dinner with a staged protest purportedly about 1st Amendment rights, they failed.
(4) They both ate dinner!
(5) Mrs. Dole acknowledged--by an affirmative nod to the main dude, Mr. Black--that she did tell these 2 they should ask to be heard (or whatever). Black, however, nixed the idea. I'm not sure what Mrs. D, being an invited speaker, should have done at that point--disrupt the dinner? I think not.
(6) I was happy to note that the NC Republicans seem more serious and much more down-to-earth than the Republicans I've observed at similar dinners in plastic, shallow CA. (7) I was impressed with Snyder--he did not disrupt the dinner, nor did he dis Mrs. D, but rather simply introduced himself and made a few comments about his views--and I kept some of his handouts to use in an email to Mrs. D asking for her rebuttal. I'm seriously considering voting for him, but will have to first dig deeper into his platform.
(8) I made a few snide remarks to the disrupters as they left--after the other guy executed a theatrical bow and made his statement about us not being afraid to look at him 'cuz he wasn't afraid to look at us (now, seriously, isn't that a weird thing to say?) and he passed my table, I asked him what the hell that was supposed to mean and told the doc that she was blocking my view.
Phew! But, hey you asked!
~(viaveritasvita)
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Will check in later in the day.
P.S. I noticed on the John Locke Foundation site that the "Tar Heel Tea Party" will be held next Monday, April 8th, 2002 in Raleigh.
Any FReepers interested?
If so, I will post a separate thread.
CD
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